Chapter One
Draco Malfoy, resplendent in his Slytherin robes, sauntered through the corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was the beginning of his second year, and he couldn't contain his excitement. The newest addition to the Slytherin Quidditch team had just arrived: the Nimbus 2001 brooms. He couldn't wait to show them off to his arch-rival, Harry Potter.
Spotting Harry and his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Draco couldn't resist the urge to boast. He swaggered over to them with the Slytherin team, his silver-blond hair shining in the sunlight that streamed through the windows.
Draco smirked at the dumbfounded look on Potter's face after Marcus told Wood about them taking the pitch to practice with their new seeker, Draco Malfoy.
"Bloody hell, how did you get the Nimbus 2001? They aren't even out yet!" Weasly shouted in disbelief. Draco's smirk widened.
"It is a gift from Draco's father." Marcus drawled, as though it was obvious. Granger scoffs and it irritates Draco, so he looks at the Gryffindor team and notices the Weasly twin's brooms. He laughs at the tattered old brooms.
"Not everyone can have old tattered brooms like the Weasley twins." Draco mocks. All the Gryffindors bristle at what he says.
"At least Fred and George got in on talent, and not by buying their way on the team." Granger haughtily remarks. Draco's cheeks pinken a bit because he worked hard to make the seeker position. He didn't have to buy his way in when he was talented. Draco looks at Granger and snarls,
"No one asked you. You filthy little MUDBLOOD!" This provides different reactions. The Slytherins all burst out laughing, while the Gryffindos gasped and become angry. Draco notices the confused face Granger makes and it makes Draco uncomfortable. She has never heard the slur before based on her face. It tugged at something deep within him, a pang of guilt, but he swiftly buried it beneath layers of pride and superiority. Weasly turns red with anger and steps forward.
"You'll pay for that Malfoy! Eat slugs!" Weasly lifts his wand toward Draco which makes him stiffen and reach for his wand, but before he could wield it Weasly's wand backfires. The strength of the spell knocks Weasly backward on his back. Draco and the rest of the Slytherins burst out laughing again. When Weasly sits up to say something to Granger and Potter, he throws up a slug.
This makes a new round of laughter roll through the Slytherins. The trio hobbled off talking about that oaf Hagrid. Draco lets his laughter die down and looks towards the Gryffindor team. He smirks at Oliver Wood.
"Looks like you are down a seeker, so why don't you shove off and give us the pitch to practice? After all, we have a full team and you do not." Oliver glares daggers at Draco for his dismissal. He tells his team that they will schedule a new practice day and they all leave with their tails tucked between their legs.
"Did you see that Weasly? I bet he enjoyed those slugs spewing from his mouth. Probably reminded him of his mother's cooking!" One of the Slytherins laughs. Draco winces at the poor insult. Even if it is a Weasly, it is in poor taste to insult someone's mother. Draco laughs along with the rest though because he knew that it would single him out if he did not.
With the Gryffindors gone, the Slytherins set up for practice. Draco was a bit worried since this would be his first time playing as a team, whether it was practice or not. He took off to the skies on his Nimbus 2001 and glided through the air. He loved flying. If there was one thing he would never give up, it would be flying.
The new brooms glistened under the sun, and a sense of exhilaration coursed through him. He couldn't resist the urge to put on a show. With each lap around the pitch, he executed daring maneuvers, reveling in the sheer power and speed of the Nimbus 2001.
The practice was easy enough. It was simple to get a hang of the team. From what Draco could tell the Slytherins tended to cheat. Draco isn't fond of cheating as he likes to prove his talents through honest work, but he made sure to tuck away the methods for when they play. They can cheat, but Draco refuses to.
Out of the corner of his eye, Draco noticed the trio—Harry, Ron, and Hermione—watching from the stands. He scoffs at the poor attempt at spying. If they are here to see Draco make a fool of himself they will be disappointed. A smirk curled upon his lips as he showcased his skills, hoping to elicit a sense of envy and admiration.
Draco sees the snitch from the corner of his eye and smirks. He was going to give those Gryffindorks a show. He leaned forward and swiftly took off after the golden snitch. He loops through the stand beams and reaches his hand out when he gets closer.
A bludger comes speeding towards his head so he drops down on his broom and rolls back towards the grass. Draco gasps at the sudden roll as he could feel the grass touch the tips of his feet. That was a close call.
Redirecting himself back toward the snitch he takes off again. He stretches his hand out as far as it could go before closing his fingers around the snitch. Draco shouts in joy and hears a whistle blow. That was the end of practice.
Draco looks up at the stands where the trio was seated. Potter looked a bit worried and Weasly was red with anger, but it was Hermione's reaction that stole his breath. She looked directly at him with awe and determination. How she could do both emotions at the same time was a mystery to Draco.
It was a far cry from the usual skepticism she directed his way. Draco couldn't help but wonder what caused this shift in her perception. There was something inexplicably captivating about the way she watched him.
But Draco, unwilling to confront the conflicting emotions stirring within him, dismissed it as unimportant. He clung to the comfort of his prejudices, shutting down any trace of vulnerability that might have lingered within him.
After landing back on the grass, Draco looks back up at Granger. I wonder, has she always looked that pretty before?
As the day drew to a close and Draco made his way back to the castle, he couldn't shake the image of Hermione's face from his mind. There was a nagging feeling that he had underestimated her, that there was more to her than met the eye. But he pushed those thoughts aside, determined to uphold the image he had built for himself.
Little did he know that this encounter on the Quidditch pitch would be just the beginning of a journey that would challenge his beliefs, his loyalties, and ultimately, his heart.